Here, we see some fine silent film melodrama. The hero, played by Romaine Fielding, lies unconscious on the railroad tracks. Fortunately, this time, the Michigan State Police can ride to the rescue!

The photos seen here come from Michigan State Police records. State Police officers once appeared in a movie, titled The Rich Slave. The movie was reportedly filmed in 1917 and released to audiences in 1921. In the photo to the right, you can see the State Police officers in character, wearing their Western cowboy garb. (Click State Police as Cowboys – Large image to view an enlarged version of the image.)

The State Police records include a typed reminiscence of the event. Harriett Faussett Brogan wrote this undated memoir, titled “Early Michigan State Police Movie Heroes.” She stated that her father, Thomas J. Fausett, had formed a movie company with actor Romaine Fielding. Ms. Brogan noted that the company was based in Howell, Mich., her father’s hometown. She recalled that production of The Rich Slave began “about the middle of June 1917″ and that much of the movie was filmed in Howell. According to Ms. Brogan, the State Police portrayed cowboys in some action shots, which were filmed “on land now known as Kensington Park near Brighton.” She further wrote, “There was a log cabin there owned by the Labardy family. And this is where the State Police made their debut as movie stars performing admirably all types of outstanding horsemanship.” (At that time, most State Police officers patrolled on horseback, so they were quite skilled at riding.) She noted that the cabin appeared in the film as the Buck Horn Hotel and that “Mr. Labardy also acted in one of the scenes.”

Further research indicates that “Mr. Labardy” was likely either Oliver Labadie or his brother, Hubert. These were brothers of Jo Labadie, whose papers are housed at the University of Michigan. The Jo Labadie Collection Web site notes that Oliver and Hubert opened a film studio, which they named the Labadie-Detroit Motion Picture Company. The Web site lists some films made there, with The Rich Slave appearing on the list. (To read about the studio, click Labadie-Detroit Motion Picture Company and scroll down to the third paragraph.).

Ms. Brogan states that The Rich Slave was filmed in 1917. She explains that the producers had some difficulty selling the film and seems to believe that it was never released. Other sources, however, do provide a release date of 1921.

A little Web surfing has revealed some further information. Romaine Fielding was both star and director of the film. Mabel Taliaferro, known as “the Sweetheart of American movies,” was the leading lady (Click Mabel Taliaferro for the Internet Movie Database page on Taliaferro.). Other performers included Joseph Smiley, Arthur Elton, Martha Forest and Vinnie Burns (Burns used the pseudonym “June Day.”). (Click “Rich Slave on IMDB to read the IMDB entry on the film.) The plot, summarized at the allmovie Web site, concerns an orphan girl (Taliaferro) and villainous financiers who seek to rob her of her inheritance. Naturally, the hero, played by Fielding, comes to her rescue! (Click allmovie synopsis to read the full plot summary.)

The Michigan State Police, incidentally, would have been in its infancy when this movie was filmed. The organization began as the Michigan State Troops Permanent Force, officially established in April 1917. America had just entered World War I, and the State Troops’ formation addressed homeland security concerns. For more information, see the book Preserve, Protect, and Defend: An Illustrated History of the Michigan State Police in the Twentieth Century by Inspector Phillip D. Schertzing (Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, 2002). (Click Preserve, Protect and Defend to see the ANSWER catalog record of this book. Click History of the State Police to read a history on the State Police Web site.)

Filmmakers continue to find Michigan an attractive locale. In April 2008, Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm signed a law establishing the most aggressive film incentive program in the nation (Click Film Incentive Program for more details.). For more information on filming in Michigan (and a list of movies filmed in Michigan), click Michigan Film Office.

2 Responses to State Police Movie Heroes

This reminds that the State Archives of Pennsylvania used to show films from the archives during archives week. Some were of the Poor House Inmates or Asylum inmates, as they were called, working, dancing, tending crops, etc., and others were of the PA State Police silent films, some with horses, some with automobiles. At the end of the police films, the crook was always caught and the goods returned. Every film ended with “The Pennsylvania State Police Always Get Their Man!” It was enough to quell rebellious thoughts. I wonder if all State Police units made films?

thank you for sharing this with us – not that i’m a historian buff, but i do appreciate the interesting historical information being that i work out of the Brighton Post, i live in the Howell area, and my son works for the Kensington Metropark as a public safety officer assistant (CJ college student), and he does love historical facts…. i will be sure to pass this on to him.
thanx again.